Alexander Lee is a journalist covering gaming, esports, and the convergence of the physical and the virtual. His journey has taken him from creative writing in college, to freelance esports journalism, to his current full-time role with Digiday.
We connected with Alexander on his background, his take on developments in gaming and esports, and the key components of a great story.
How did you get into journalism?
I fell into journalism by accident. I studied English in college, but never participated in student journalism or intended to pursue a career in this field. However, I have always been a gamer and a fan of esports. So when I graduated from college and became a more frequent reader of esports journalism, I realized I could write about the space just as well as many of the reporters already covering it. I pitched a freelance article to ESPN, and I’ve been writing about gaming and esports ever since.
What makes for a good story? What do you consider essential components of a good pitch?
A good story is timely, unique, and—most importantly—specifically attuned to the readership of my publication. In my case, I write for Digiday, a publication whose readership largely comes from the worlds of marketing and advertising. A story pitched to me should always consider why an executive who works for a brand or agency should care about it, although it doesn’t need to be directly relevant to that world.
What is your biggest piece of advice for young PR professionals who pitch you?
Actually read my work, and then make it clear to me that you’ve read my work. Tie pitches into broader themes or narratives that I’ve been pursuing as a reporter. Don’t send me a copied and pasted pitch as part of a mass email blast, because I probably won’t respond.
What are some gaming trends in the media that you’ve witnessed, and do you have any predictions on how the industry will look moving forward?
Broadly, I believe high-quality gaming and esports journalism is becoming increasingly rare. This is not the fault of the writers. Google algorithms and changing audience habits have made guided content more lucrative than investigative journalism, disincentivizing publications from investing in more meaningful, deeper reporting. At the same time, the gaming audience is becoming more attuned to video content than the written word. I would expect both of these trends to continue.
If you weren’t a journalist, what other career would you be interested in pursuing?
No idea, honestly. But probably something that has nothing to do with content. I always thought it would be cool to be a firefighter.
